Berwick Rangers 2015/16

[tescodave]

It seems it's same old same old for us in close season. 

 

That £10k Cameron got as pay off is going to be the stumbling block to us getting any quality and with money being tighter than it was certainly a year ago so get prepared for another mid table at best finish.

[BB_Bino]

That £10k Cameron got as pay off is going to be the stumbling block to us getting any quality and with money being tighter than it was certainly a year ago so get prepared for another mid table at best finish.

Just putting it out there, but would the money we gave you for Henderson not clear/go a long way to clear that??

[tescodave]

Just putting it out there, but would the money we gave you for Henderson not clear/go a long way to clear that??

Yes but the fact we had to pay that imposter after the job he did tells us what a major balls up the chairman made in handing him an extension when in reality it was the punt that was required.

[Redcar]

Hope Coff spends the bulk of whatever money that is available on an experienced centre midfielder and an experienced striker. Just 2 decent signings and I'd be happy with the core squad.

Happy for other gaps to be filled again with loanees.

[Yellow Feet]

Yes but the fact we had to pay that imposter after the job he did tells us what a major balls up the chairman made in handing him an extension when in reality it was the punt that was required.

Maybe the departing Chairman should've used the money given to him by the Supporters Club to cover that.

[Riverside]

It seems it's same old same old for us in close season. 

 

That £10k Cameron got as pay off is going to be the stumbling block to us getting any quality and with money being tighter than it was certainly a year ago so get prepared for another mid table at best finish.

Yes I would go along with the above a mid table finish is looking very likely after losing McNeil, Crane, Hendo who we all knew would be leaving at the end of season. Henderson as been a much improved player under Coff's reign as new manager and as helped us when relegation danger looked inevitable. However I'm pleased with his departure as I don't think he is what we need going forward. We need someone with hunger & passion like Crane perhaps, but give credit to Hendo his season did turn around and good luck to him at Albion as long as he doesn't score against us next  season.

Well looking forward to next season already seeing 3 different teams in the League. Edinburgh looked decent in the 2nd leg against Shire and no doubt they will strengthen. Bet they wish Mbu wasn't coming out of retirement. So yet we need a work ethic striker who can get us 25 goals, a solid experienced midfielder and hope that Lavery can get back to normal...wish it was that simple.

We have Coff's full support and we can guarantee were not going to have a start as bad as the last one but I'm going along with a mid table finish. Hey we expect that now, we understand the club as no ambition and Coff was straight and came out and said we will have a young team come July, not his fault he his just pointing out basically saying don't expect miracles can only do what I can with penny's giving to me by the board.

I'll still be there next season, however Gers fans have got to except the club as no interests in getting out of the division, a lot of us have passion and hope for change but just get behind the boys who ever is at the club next year and pray for miracles.

 

[Red Mist]

Yes I would go along with the above a mid table finish is looking very likely after losing McNeil, Crane, Hendo who we all knew would be leaving at the end of season. Henderson as been a much improved player under Coff's reign as new manager and as helped us when relegation danger looked inevitable. However I'm pleased with his departure as I don't think he is what we need going forward. We need someone with hunger & passion like Crane perhaps, but give credit to Hendo his season did turn around and good luck to him at Albion as long as he doesn't score against us next  season.

Well looking forward to next season already seeing 3 different teams in the League. Edinburgh looked decent in the 2nd leg against Shire and no doubt they will strengthen. Bet they wish Mbu wasn't coming out of retirement. So yet we need a work ethic striker who can get us 25 goals, a solid experienced midfielder and hope that Lavery can get back to normal...wish it was that simple.

We have Coff's full support and we can guarantee were not going to have a start as bad as the last one but I'm going along with a mid table finish. Hey we expect that now, we understand the club as no ambition and Coff was straight and came out and said we will have a young team come July, not his fault he his just pointing out basically saying don't expect miracles can only do what I can with penny's giving to me by the board.

I'll still be there next season, however Gers fans have got to except the club as no interests in getting out of the division, a lot of us have passion and hope for change but just get behind the boys who ever is at the club next year and pray for miracles.

Some board members do have ambition, and I'd certainly include the vice-chairman in that bracket. Not sure there are many others in the boardroom who do though. The status quo is far too comfortable, and as supporters, we're guilty for not challenging the board enough. We've had plenty of opportunities to do it but when did we get our act together? Forcing their hand on Jimmy Crease after the Deveronvale debacle. When else?

As it stands, I'm not even sure we're capable of a mid-table finish. Arbroath, Clyde and now Stirling at least are showing

ambition with their early summer signings. We might yet catch up, and I trust Coff to do the best with the resources

available to him, but given we're still waiting for a new main shirt sponsor to sign up (surely this should have been sortedlast year when it was known the current sponsorship would expire), I'm not too optimistic about how much he'll have to spend

Still, he's been signing people on 2 year deals and credit to the club in that they seem committed to longer term planning around coaching and player development, which is welcome.

A couple of good signings would help stifle current disillusion.

[berwick-the-unbeatable]

To be fair, I don't think John ever even mentioned aims on the park. It depends what your definition of ambition is. Some fans will only be bothered about our league performance and that's fair enough. I'm of the personal belief that league success should always be the priority but I also suppose the harsher reality is that I'd rather support a club who very rarely pulled up trees than have no club to support.

The reality, as John will rightly point out is that a club our size needs to be more than that these days, especially if we're to find a way to sustain ourselves financially in a higher division, but that's unlikely to happen overnight. The club have undoubtedly made strides in the last year or two in particular and though there is still never ending room for improvement, at least we're finally on a track.

As for the squad, I don't understand the panic. Yes I'm keen for us to do something, but comparing our situation to that of potential rivals is pointless.

Arbroath have made good signings but still have a completely shite defence - especially when you consider Dunlop hasn't been fully fit since his loan with us. Clyde did the same last year and underachieved - Flynn and McNeil are good additions but the others are bang average for this level and Stirling are total shite with a shite manager and fair enough our best(?) striker - it won't turn them into world beaters. Cowden have hired an u17 gaffer, Forfar have lost half their team. No one has won the league.

There's still ages yet. Contracts don't even expire till the 31st so I'd assume any deals being done are on pre contracts anyway. Given Cough's insistence on signing his key men for two years it's clear he wants players who are gonna buy in to the project. If that means we're after unknown juniors for the best part who are dying for the chance to play for a club like Berwick, so be it. Equally, if Cough believes we'll get the right answer from those at other league sides by giving them their time then fair enough. I'd rather see us take our time and identify a number of players than see us getting our time wasted trying to pin hopes on the Ian Black's and Craig Dargo's.

Incredibly despite having signed no new players, I'd also suggest we're still in a better position than we were under Cameron this time last year. Bear in mind that if he'd had his way, Lee Currie, Stephen Tulloch, Michael Andrews and even more dross would have still been donning black and gold last season.

[Duns Fan]

Is big walters being kept on for next season? Cracking keeper

[BerwickMad]

No. Released at end of the season.

[Kevin Haynes' Son]

Good attitude, Here's hoping Lenny follows suit...

[Yellow Feet]

Good attitude, Here's hoping Lenny follows suit...

I agree. Lenny must begin to utilise social media immediately.

[berwickdangers]

No. Released at end of the season.

 

Has a released list been issued ? If there has I must have missed it.

[BerwickMad]

Has a released list been issued ? If there has I must have missed it.

Not sure if a full list has been revealed but there was something about him not being offered another contract anyway.

[Yellow Feet]

Not sure if a full list has been revealed but there was something about him not being offered another contract anyway.

I heard he was

[Jamesy lawd]

confrince leage for this pish lol

[toto1504]

Learn to spell Doylem

[BerwickMad]

I see Clyde have gone and signed Easton now.

It's early doors, but we're going to find it harder and harder to compete at this level unless we have some kind of joint together long term plan. It seems quite clear that we can't afford to match other clubs in wages, and we shouldn't be in a position where we're relying on cup runs to fund a wage bill that we otherwise wouldn't be able to afford. It's not a sustainable plan.

The only way to do that for me is to think way beyond just football and having revenue streams out with match day. There needs to be some plan towards either a total redevelopment of Shielfield (not sticky plasters) or a new ground. Berwick isnt exactly heeving with meeting rooms, conference rooms or hotel space. Maybe something along those lines to generate revenue alongside other initiatives.

[Kevin Haynes' Son]

I see Clyde have gone and signed Easton now.

It's early doors, but we're going to find it harder and harder to compete at this level unless we have some kind of joint together long term plan. It seems quite clear that we can't afford to match other clubs in wages, and we shouldn't be in a position where we're relying on cup runs to fund a wage bill that we otherwise wouldn't be able to afford. It's not a sustainable plan.

The only way to do that for me is to think way beyond just football and having revenue streams out with match day. There needs to be some plan towards either a total redevelopment of Shielfield (not sticky plasters) or a new ground. Berwick isnt exactly heeving with meeting rooms, conference rooms or hotel space. Maybe something along those lines to generate revenue alongside other initiatives.

I think we should maybe focus on player recruitment just now rather than offices and hotels since we can barely field a team at the moment let alone challenge those at the top.

[BerwickMad]

I think we should maybe focus on player recruitment just now rather than offices and hotels since we can barely field a team at the moment let alone challenge those at the top.

Focusing on player recruitment is a constant. Giving the manager a full time contract is a clear focus on player recruitment.

If you ignore the other stuff though, we'll continue to fall further and further behind and we'll be focusing on player recruitment in the Lowland League, not this league and never mind League 1. There needs to be a focus on both things.